Many toys capitalize on a child's natural enjoyment of playing in and around water. Water parks have been enormously popular in recent years and offer evidence of how children love to play in water, and the more different avenues for doing so, the better. However, it can be burdensome in many ways for parents to make frequent trips with their families to large public amusement parks of this type.
Most everyone has seen children playing in the rain or under a sprinkler on a hot summer afternoon. But, children also need diversity in their activities, and many soon grow tired of simple sprinklers, seeking other pastimes which are more likely to challenge their innate creativity.
Several types of umbrellas which create "rain" to fall on top of the umbrella have been found in the patent literature. An early example is provided by Askin, U.S. Pat. No. 1,020,071, which is an umbrella for theatrical purposes. This device has a water filled bulb near the umbrella handle which can be squeezed to force the water up a tube and out through a nozzle. The water exits the nozzle in a fine mist which falls back on the top surface of the umbrella to create an illusion of rain. Hagen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,366, provides a means for attaching a hose fed sprinkler above an umbrella to create a water cooled environment which will at the same time keep anyone under the umbrella dry. Finally Altsheler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,483 discloses a combination umbrella and water pistol. This invention has a water pistol mounted inside an umbrella which fires through the tip of the umbrella. The umbrella can be opened to provide a shield after squirting someone with the pistol. These inventions are similar in that each includes a system built into an umbrella for delivery of a stream of water above the umbrella canopy.